Agana race riot
Encyclopedia
The Agana race riot
took place at Agana
, Guam
over the two nights of 24 December-25 December, 1944 during the War in the Pacific
.
It was one of the most serious incidents between African American
military personnel and White enlisted men during the Second World War.
in a campaign that cost 1,600 Marine lives.
After the battle, Guam was turned into a base for Allied operations. Five large airfields were built by Seabees, and B-29 bombers flew from the island to attack targets in the Western Pacific and on mainland Japan. Guam continued to station enlisted men from the 3rd Marine Division. But racial tensions began in late August when the all-black 25th Depot Company of the United States Navy
started loading operations at the newly-created naval supply depot.
A black Marine stationed on the island compared the island to "a city deep down in the South
" because of the bigotry he encountered. He said:
Over the next three months, these racially-motivated incidents caused tensions to rise between the two groups until they erupted into a riot
on Christmas Eve, 1944.
.
However, while in the city white Marines opened fire on the black Marines while they talked to Asian women, forcing them to run for their lives. Eight Marines returned to their depot safely; however, a ninth man was missing.
In response, 40 African American enlisted men loaded into two trucks and drove back to Agana to find the missing man. At the same time an African American Marine - who remained at the base - called the Military Police in Agana warning them that the Marines were on their way. The MPs proceeded to erect barricades across all the roads leading into Agana.
When the truck arrived at a roadblock a standoff began. Eventually tensions were calmed after a MP officer informed the Marines that the missing man was found safe and returned to the 25th's camp. Satisfied, they turned their trucks around and returned to base.
But around midnight on Christmas morning, a truck filled with armed Marines drove into the segregated African American camp. They claimed that one of their Marines had been hit with a piece of coral thrown by one of the African Americans.
After the reports of the shootings reached the African-American company, after midnight on the morning of 26 December, a jeep with white service members opened fire on the African-American depot. Camp guards returned fire injuring a white MP officer. The whites in the jeep took cover and fled toward Agana being chased by a group of armed blacks.
The personnel were stopped at a roadblock outside Agana by white MPs. They were arrested and charged with unlawful assembly, rioting, theft of government property and attempted murder.
Henry Louis Larsen
convened a court of inquiry
to investigate the riot. Many black Marines were court-martialed and received prison terms. No white Marines were charged in connection with the events. The NAACP later successfully campaigned to have the black Marines released.
Race riot
A race riot or racial riot is an outbreak of violent civil disorder in which race is a key factor. A phenomenon frequently confused with the concept of 'race riot' is sectarian violence, which involves public mass violence or conflict over non-racial factors.-United States:The term had entered the...
took place at Agana
Hagåtña, Guam
Hagåtña , formerly English Agana and in Spanish Agaña, is the capital of the United States island territory of Guam. It is the island's second smallest village in both area and population. From the 18th through mid 20th century, it was Guam's population center...
, Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
over the two nights of 24 December-25 December, 1944 during the War in the Pacific
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
.
It was one of the most serious incidents between African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
military personnel and White enlisted men during the Second World War.
Background
In July 1944, the 3rd Marine Division took two weeks to recapture Guam from the Japanese ArmyImperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
in a campaign that cost 1,600 Marine lives.
After the battle, Guam was turned into a base for Allied operations. Five large airfields were built by Seabees, and B-29 bombers flew from the island to attack targets in the Western Pacific and on mainland Japan. Guam continued to station enlisted men from the 3rd Marine Division. But racial tensions began in late August when the all-black 25th Depot Company of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
started loading operations at the newly-created naval supply depot.
A black Marine stationed on the island compared the island to "a city deep down in the South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
" because of the bigotry he encountered. He said:
Where there are women and white and Negro men, you will find discrimination in large quantities. On Guam, discrimination against blacks involved attempted intimidation by whites who shouted racial slurs, threw rocks, and occasionally hurled smoke grenades from passing trucks into the cantonment area for black sailors of the Naval Supply Depot.
Over the next three months, these racially-motivated incidents caused tensions to rise between the two groups until they erupted into a riot
Riot
A riot is a form of civil disorder characterized often by what is thought of as disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence against authority, property or people. While individuals may attempt to lead or control a riot, riots are thought to be typically chaotic and...
on Christmas Eve, 1944.
First confrontation
On December 24, a group of nine African American Marines from the 25th Depot Company had been given 24-hour holiday passes (for exemplary service) to go into Agana, GuamHagåtña, Guam
Hagåtña , formerly English Agana and in Spanish Agaña, is the capital of the United States island territory of Guam. It is the island's second smallest village in both area and population. From the 18th through mid 20th century, it was Guam's population center...
.
However, while in the city white Marines opened fire on the black Marines while they talked to Asian women, forcing them to run for their lives. Eight Marines returned to their depot safely; however, a ninth man was missing.
In response, 40 African American enlisted men loaded into two trucks and drove back to Agana to find the missing man. At the same time an African American Marine - who remained at the base - called the Military Police in Agana warning them that the Marines were on their way. The MPs proceeded to erect barricades across all the roads leading into Agana.
When the truck arrived at a roadblock a standoff began. Eventually tensions were calmed after a MP officer informed the Marines that the missing man was found safe and returned to the 25th's camp. Satisfied, they turned their trucks around and returned to base.
But around midnight on Christmas morning, a truck filled with armed Marines drove into the segregated African American camp. They claimed that one of their Marines had been hit with a piece of coral thrown by one of the African Americans.
Escalation
Racial tensions continued on Christmas Day, when an African-American enlisted man walking back to camp from Agana was shot dead by two drunk white Marines. Within hours, another black enlisted man was shot and killed by another drunken white enlisted man in Agana.After the reports of the shootings reached the African-American company, after midnight on the morning of 26 December, a jeep with white service members opened fire on the African-American depot. Camp guards returned fire injuring a white MP officer. The whites in the jeep took cover and fled toward Agana being chased by a group of armed blacks.
The personnel were stopped at a roadblock outside Agana by white MPs. They were arrested and charged with unlawful assembly, rioting, theft of government property and attempted murder.
Aftermath
Marine Major GeneralMajor General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Henry Louis Larsen
Henry Louis Larsen
Henry Louis Larsen was a United States Marine Corps Lieutenant General, the second Military Governor of Guam following its recapture from the Empire of Japan, and the first post-World War II Governor of Guam. He also served as the Military Governor of American Samoa alongside civilian Governor of...
convened a court of inquiry
Naval Board of Inquiry
A Naval Board of Inquiry is a type of investigative court proceeding conducted by the United States Navy after the occurrence of an unanticipated event that adversely affects the performance, or reputation, of the fleet or one of its ships or stations.- Convening the board :Depending on the...
to investigate the riot. Many black Marines were court-martialed and received prison terms. No white Marines were charged in connection with the events. The NAACP later successfully campaigned to have the black Marines released.
See also
- Port Chicago disasterPort Chicago disasterThe Port Chicago disaster was a deadly munitions explosion that occurred on July 17, 1944, at the Port Chicago Naval Magazine in Port Chicago, California, United States. Munitions detonated while being loaded onto a cargo vessel bound for the Pacific Theater of Operations, killing 320 sailors and...
—1944 court-martial of 50 African-American Navy men for refusing unsafe munitions loading work following a deadly explosion. - Fort Lawton RiotFort Lawton Riot”The largest and longest U.S. Army court-martial of World War II took place at Seattle's Fort Lawton. 43 U.S. soldiers, all of them African-American, were charged with rioting; three were also charged with the lynching death of an Italian prisoner of war named Guglielmo Olivotto.Some resources ...
—43 African-American defendants in the largest World War II Army courts-martial.